Which seems dumb, don't clash it with grand final week/weekend

Only if it’s completely and totally unavoidable

i mean the throwdown works perfect

I disagree. I think start it earlier and have the NBL finals showcased without football preseason getting in the way (which always dominates the news anyway). It's only the start of the season and it kind of shows the NBL has the cahoonas to take it up to the AFL and NRL grand finals (they'll get smashed obviously) but at least it's showing that they're not afraid to take it to them this time around.

Might be worth seeing what a potential soft opening to the season might be compared to a soft finish whereby not many people care about hoops by the time the footy starts.

Season this year had definitely run out of puff by the time the finals came around. That extra week off they gave the teams then the long spread out between games in the finals series was just silly scheduling.

Not sure if they've announced the full opening weekend schedule but I think there's a way they can avoid AFL/NRL without too many problems. A game in Bris Sat night, game in Melb Sun night, can figure it out easily enough.

sure if they've announced the full opening weekend schedule

It's in the link I posted.

28/09 MEL-SEM
29/09 BNE-ADL
29/09 PER-TAS
30/09 NZB-CNS
30/09 ILL-SYD
01/10 ADL-MEL
01/10 SEM-PER

My understanding is the season is actually going to be spread out more. Less midweek games. FIBA weekend will follow the final round rather than prior to GF

It makes sense starting the season early since it avoids that silly FIBA break during the Finals.

So many European leagues and the possibly the NBA starts around late September so it's a perfect idea. Yes bad the NBL has to compete with the AFL/NRL grand finals but in Melbourne we get the Friday off since it’s the Grand Final weekend. Having a Melbourne derby on the Thursday night works.

Only issue I have is the league may spread out more games since they don’t want many midday games. I wanted a 36 game regular season so it means each team can play each other twice at home and twice away. It’s only eight games extra to each team’s fixtures, yes there would be court availability problems and those’s 4 extra home games wouldn’t be counted on our 14 game membership’s. It gives the chance for regional towns to host some nbl games. Be good for United if they could play some games at Parkville while the Aus Open is on in January.

In the context of 1 week, surely they could have tightened the fixture to avoid the conflict?

I would have thought you'd want to start the season with a bang, not go un-noticed as the two biggest sports have their biggest week of the year!

If there’s one thing AFL does well, it’s really get the opening round or two right. They go big, they go big with the matchups and the primetime. They have the Carlton’s, Richmond’s, Collingwoods, Geelong setting the scene against each other opening Thursday, Friday.

NBL should be doing the same - give footy it’s air and then come in hard with your Melbourne v Sydney, Perth v Adelaide type matchups.

Also - festive season and office shutdown should be the NBLs to capture.

Every single day between (and including) Thursday 14th December and Sunday January 7th should have a game on.

Agreed on both counts KET

Terrible idea starting the season on Grand Final weekend for both AFL and NRL

And re Christmas, did that last year with their "12 games of Christmas" and games every day - agreed, absolute must to have plenty of games during the break

To be honest though, does the NBL ever start off with a bang? Every year the season opener has virtually no hype. It tends to build up towards Christmas and NY, and over the school holidays. That's its main jam.

I dont think it matters when it starts. It matters when it finishes though. And it's always finished flat.

The other thing is, after the GF week, the attention turns to trade week. And that always gets major coverage. Plus the start of cricket looms. Unfortunately there isn't a perfect time to start the season. I just think it might be better starting it then (on GF week) and finishing up on a high if that's possible. And if it means not dealing with an untimely FIBA window then I'm for it as that was a big issue.

I credit the league for trying something a little different.

Round 6 is Indigenous Round.
Open Air Game features MEL-PER on 23/12.

No mention of Heritage Round? FAIL.

My understanding is the season is actually going to be spread out more. Less midweek games. FIBA weekend will follow the final round rather than prior to GF

They've gotten rid of Monday games excluding special fixturing for Melbourne Cup Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Like.

Regular season and playoffs being split by the late February FIBA international window. Like.

Also - festive season and office shutdown should be the NBLs to capture. Every single day between (and including) Thursday 14th December and Sunday January 7th should have a game on.

22 December through to 1 January is one continuous stretch with a couple of Wednesday games thrown in during mid-January. Like.
(Personally I shut down from Christmas Eve to mid-to-late January.)

Open Air Game preceding the Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day fixtures. Nice.

A consistent Thu-Sun schedule outside of holiday periods. Like.

The Sunday games are still too early for west coast viewers. Meh.

NZB with five regional games again feels like an overly excessive burden on a potential championship winning side.
SEM with many 'To Be Confirmed' under venue - is SBC unavailable?
TAS consistent with their minimum of two games in Launceston per season.

Indigenous Round, Pride Round and Warner Brothers Round but no Heritage Round? Sacrilege.

Does the NBL not know that ESPN is also available via Fetch TV and is the cheapest option by far? About time they included their logo to help fans.

and as with every other annual schedule release I ask myself "Who the F uses ECAL?"

Anything else?

Clubs obviously didn't want Monday games, the only ones this season are Melbourne Cup eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Taking that out has effectively added two extra rounds onto the season.

It's the start of the season, shouldn’t really matter, most teams take a few weeks to hit their straps, but dragging it out isn’t ideal either,

"Does the NBL not know that ESPN is also available via Fetch TV and is the cheapest option by far?"

They only promote the Newscorp linked options due to the broadcast agreement.

Makes sense.

$6/month for the channel pack including ESPN & ESPN2 via for those who aren't aware and are interested.

(BYO Fetch-branded PVR, I bought one on special for $99. Don't pay retail.)

But I find it strange Melbourne United have the exact fixture from NBL22. I don't understand why the NBL can’t play an even 36 game regular season like the British Basketball League.

Playoffs are starting on the 27 April, their regular season just finished last night. Newcastle Eagles just scraped through making finals. They will play my London Lions 1v8 in aggregate games.

British Basketball League.

Rumour taran Armstrong going to nbl.
Possibly both brothers in tas.

CAIRNS TAIPANS

PG: Import* - Armstrong

SG: McCall* - NS - Djeric
SF: Kuol - Mayen -Antonio
PF: Hogg?* - Mennenga

C: Waardenburg - Gak

I don't think there is much chance of them re-signing Djeric after they just bought him out of the year that was remaining on his contract.

Might be right.

They need a Maker, Reath or Brandt.

PG: Import* - Armstrong

SG: McCall* - NS - Antonio
SF: Kuol - Mayen
PF: Hogg?* - Mennenga

C: Waardenburg - Gak

Cairns Taipans
Taran Armstrong, Tahjere McCall, Jonah Antonio, Bul Kuol, Lat Mayen, Sam Mennenga, Sam Waardenburg, Akoldah Gak
Import/Armstrong
McCall/Antonio
Kuol/Mayen
Import/Mennenga
Waardenburg/Gak

Wouldn't be shocked to see Armstrong and/or Mennenga start.

Cairns need an import g that can shoot and a tough frontcourt import.

Right now Armstrong and McCall aren’t shooters and Mennenga, Waardenburg and Gak are young.

Will be interesting to see if keep Hogg.

With Cairns interested to see where Ayre and Majok Deng end up.

Think Djeric will end up in Europe

Ayre been training in sem, I'm assuming he’ll be there.
Adnam looking like Tassie the only option.

JackJumpers now looking like

Sean MacDonald, Kye Savage (Development), Milton Doyle, Tre Armstrong (Development), Walter Brown (Development), Anthony Drmic, Clint Steindl, Jack McVeigh, Jarred Bairstow, Fabijan Krslovic, Will Magnay
Import/MacDonald/Savage
Doyle/Armstrong
Drmic/Steindl/Brown
McVeigh/Bairstow
Magnay/Krslovic

Wouldn't be shocked to see Weeks back. If the Wagstaff rumour becomes true would imagine 3 perimeter imports.